djwudi's reviews
1096 reviews

Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 220 by Neil Clarke

3.0

My favorites this issue were “Never Eaten Vegetables” by H.H. Pak, “The Temporary Murder of Thomas Monroe” by Tia Tashiro, and “Autonomy” by Meg Elison.

Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 219 by Neil Clarke

3.0

Favorites in this issue were “Souljacker” by Shari Paul, “Driver” by Sameem Siddiqui, and “The Coffee Machine” by Celia Corral-Vásquez.

Uncanny Magazine Issue 62 by Lynne M. Thomas, Michi Trota, Michael Damian Thomas

3.0

Favorites this month were “Kaiju Agonistes” by Scott Lynch and “Six People to Revise You” by J.R. Dawson.

Winterfair Gifts by Lois McMaster Bujold

3.0

A fun, quick read, as two of Miles’ current and former staff uncover a plot to foil Miles’ wedding.

Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold

3.0

A two-century prequel to the Vorkosogan saga, as the Quaddies — humans genetically engineered for zero-G, complete with a second pair of arms rather than legs — make a break for freedom. Not quite as good as later Vorkosogan books, but also one of the earliest written, and still very enjoyable, with some neat feats of sci-fi engineering balancing out the less well-developed characters.

Harm's Way by David Mack

2.0

Though officially a TOS adventure, this is really mostly a part of the _Vanguard_ spinoff book series, which I read so long ago as to have forgotten both characters and key points. As a result, it felt like I was reading a mid-series book, and missing much of the necessary context. The primary foe is so overwhelmingly powerful that there’s an extended battle sequence in the latter half of the book that feels very out of place; perhaps it works within the greater Vanguard storyline, but to me, it was just troubling and very un-Trek. Klingon characters include pre-“Day of the Dove” Kang and Mara, which does expand their characters in interesting ways and hints at background motivations for future Federation/Klingon developments, but also doesn’t really mesh with what I remember of Kang and Mara’s actions in the episode (though, admittedly, it’s been a few years since I watched it, and I’m relying partially on Memory Alpha’s plot summary here). All in all, an uneven Trek adventure, and not one of my favorites.

A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge

5.0

Interstellar travel spanning centuries, plans and plots spanning decades and more, first contact, an alien civilization presented in both very relateable and very alien ways…all sorts of good stuff here. Technically in the same universe as Vinge’s _A Fire Upon the Deep_, but so removed in space and time as to be standalone, with only a few connections to the other. Really enjoyed how Vinge presented the Spiders, and the revelations towards the end that I didn’t guess at all. An excellent read.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Asylum by Una McCormack

4.0

As always, Trek is at its best when it’s looking at modern issues through an SF lens. On the surface, this is about Pike and Number One at Starfleet Academy, paired with a later mission that ties back to those experiences. But when dealing with minority ethnic groups reacting to years of oppression, there’s a lot more there as well. Plus, of course, some very entertaining ties to wider Trek lore.

Uncanny Magazine Issue 61: November/December 2024 by Lynne M. Thomas, Monte Lin, Michael Damian Thomas

3.0

Favorites this issue were “Woodmask” by Adrian Tchaikovsky and “Ancestor Heart” by Naomi Day.

Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 218 by Neil Clarke

3.0

Favorites this month were "LuvHome™" by Resa Nelson, "Luminous Glass, Vibrant Seeds" by D.A. Xiaolin Spires, "Negative Scholarship on the Fifth State of Being" by A. W. Prihandita, and "Unquiet Graves" by Michael Swanwick.